Antiskid device for shoes



R. W. HART ANTISKID DEVICE FOR SHOES Filed Ju1`y 31, 1957 atenteci May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES ATENT ANTISKID DEVICE FOR SHOES Application July 31, 1937, Serial No. 156,816

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a device designed to be secured to the bottom of a shoe or bootparticularly one which is formed of rubberfor the purpose of preventing the wearer from slipping and falling when walking over frozen, oily or other slippery surfaces.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of such a device which is simple and inexpensive yet effective in use, and which has the feature of ready detachability while simultaneously embodying the feature of preventing moisture from getting into the shoe or the material thereof.

Preferably, the device of the present invention embodies an anti-skid element, and a fastening means a part of which is permanently attached securely to the shoe. It is a major object to produce such a device in which the permanently attached part is substantially invisible and does not tend to pick up and hold mud or the like. In fact the entire device is not cumbersome to attract mud or to mar the appearance of the shoe.

It is a special object of this invention to devise a fastening means which is extremely simple and which is always easily operable to secure or remove the anti-skid element. A further important object resides in improvement in the anti-skid element itself.

The improved device of the present invention preferably is secured to the heel of the shoe, since slipping usually occurs when the weight of the body is transferred to the heel. However, my invention may of course be applied to the sole as well as to the heel, or to both.

In the prior art, most of the devices with which I am familiar are of the type embodying a cornplex if not expensive fastening means requiring a heel of special or altered design. Such devices tend to gather caked. mud, and they become difcult of operation from rust or mud accumulation after initial use. Most of them include spikes or similar elements which mar the surface of a floor if worn indoors. Another type, readily clamped to a shoe without in any way altering the heel or sole or including a permanent attachment part, is objectionable because it may come oi and because it mars and even tears 01T portions of the heel. When such a device is applied to a heel of rubber or other material in an overshoe that will yield and partially collapse, it will easily come loose or fall off when the overshoe is removed from the foot.

The present invention, which overcomes all of the above disadvantages, is described and claimed below, and is illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a view, substantially in perspective, of a complete device of this invention applied t a rubber overshoe;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the heel portion of the assembly of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the irregular line 3 3, in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a further sectional view, taken on line -4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail view, enlarged and in perspective, of the anti-skidelement seen in Figs. 1 4;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of a modified form of anti-skid element; and

Fig. '7 is a side elevational View of the element of Fig. 6.

With continued reference tothe drawing wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts, the invention is shown' by Way of example applied to the heel 8 of a rubber overshoe 9. The heel 8 preferably is somewhat thicker than the usual conventional overshoe heels, for a purpose that will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The device applied to the heel 8 comprises a metal cross-piece I0 having a pair of integral upturned flanges I2, I2 that are centrally apertured as at I3, a metal sleeve I4, and a pin I5 having one end enlarged or headed at I6 and its other end threaded as shown to receive a wing nut I1.

The body or cross-piece Iii is substantially equal in length to the width of the heel 8 and is shaped on its upper side to snugly engage the bottom surface of the heel, with its flanges simultaneously engaging the sides of the heel. The sleeve I4 is disposed entirely within the heel, tting within a passage within the latter that extends transversely and that in effect forms a part of the complete device. 'I'he pin i5 is of suiiiciently greater length than the sleeve to extend outwardly to receive the wing nut Il, which may be readily tightened by hand to clamp the assembly securely in position, or readily loosened to remove the anti-skid element from the shoe.

The anti-skid element per se comprises an elongated rib I8 which extends from one end of the piece I0 to the other in a direction generally transversely of the heel, and is preferably made an integral part of the piece I0 by bending it into double-walled form, as best seen in Fig. 4, during formation of the piece IIJ. Thus the rib I8 is insuiciently sharp to mar a oor surface but presents a downward edge that will bite into ice or the like to prevent slipping.

The rib preferably is curved, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, so that it prevents side-slipping of the overshoe as well as slipping in other directions. The curvature may be varied as desired-for example it may take the sinuously curved form of the rib on the cross-piece |00 of the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Although the entire assembly of metal parts may be made removable so that the heel carries only the transverse passageway when the device is not attached, it is an important part of my invention to make the sleeve I4 a permanent part of the overshoe heel. In either case it is desirable for the heel to have suilicient thickness to give sturdy support to the sleeve: and pin and to prevent the pin from extending at any point into the interior of the overshoe. In` this way it is impossible for water to leak into the shoe.

To make the sleeve a permanent part of the heel I may either provide flanges on its ends to engage the heel sides, or vulcanize the rubber of the heel to the outer surface of the plain sleeve, as illustrated. The vulcanization method is preferred because it closes the opening for the sleeve to moisture and because it produces an overshoe that is conventional in appearance when the pin and cross-piece are removed, only the open sleeve ends being visible at such time. In fact the entire device is relatively inconspicuous when worn, but it becomes desirable to dismantle it when walking over hard surfaces that are wet, but not slippery.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that I have devised an arrangement which accomplishes all of the aforestated objects of invention. It is simple and inexpensive, easy to attach and detach, inconspicuous, effective in operation to prevent slipping, comfortable to Wear, non-destructive to shoes, and it will not pick up mud or permit moisture to gain access to the shoe material or interior.

I claim:

1. In combination, a shoe having a hole extending transversely through the bottom thereof, an anti-skid element tted to said bottom and having upwardly turned anges apertured adjacent the ends of said hole, and a pin extending through said hole and into said apertures to hold said element in position on the shoe.

2. A shoe having a rubber heel of substantial thickness, a sleeve of a diameter less than said thickness embedded and vulcanized in the rubber of said heel, said sleeve being of sufficient length to form an opening extending horizontally and completely through a portion of the heel.

3. In combination with the structure defined in claim 2, a pin designed to extend through said sleeve, an anti-skid element designed to receive the ends of said pin, and means for holding said element in position on said pin.

4. In combination, an overshoe having a rubber heel of substantial thickness, a metal sleeve permanently embedded and sealed within said heel with its ends forming openings substantially flush with the side surfaces of said heel, a pin extending through said sleeve, a device fitted to said shoe and having portions adjacent the sleeve ends to receive the pin ends, and readily detachable means securing said device to said pin.

5. In combination with the heel of a shoe, an anti-skid device approximately U-shape in form having a pair of apertured legs engaging the sides of the heel and an intermediate portion snugly engaging the bottom of the heel, and means extending through the apertured legs into said heel to hold said device in position.

6. An anti-skid device of the character described, comprising an element adapted to t against the bottom of a shoe, said element having an integral, double-walled rib formed therewith to extend downwardly therefrom in use.

ROLAND W. HART. 

